Thread: First Commercial install

I just landed my first landscaping install job for a restaurant. It is an Italian place and the owner gave me free range on the design. Im debating right now on plants/trees and am debating on whether to do a more regional design with alot of plants/trees that you see around here or should i try and give it of a look like something you would see in Italy. I talked to the owner and he did not have a preference. anyone who does alot of planting/ installs i would like your opinion

What is the project? Is it a building in a parking lot with a 5' planting bed or is there outdoor tables or something else?

right now there is 6 feet from building the curb except for a couple parts the are a little bit bigger from where the building makes some "design" turns. It is in its own free standing lot. It does have outdoor seating. There still designing the outdoor part so right now im working on the rest of the building. 2 sides of the lot back up to the woods so were not putting anything there. Hes getting some real nice custom made wood signs 4 of them 2 for the entrance and 2 for the exit so im gonna design around them. Since the front is a small hill i was thinking of building a retaining wall. It would be about 6 blocks on the low and and 8 blocks high on the high side then putting in a flower bed around the sign. I was gonna put some lights in for the sign and was maybe thinking of putting trees a couple feet behind the signs the stop the light to help show the sign even more then just put some small stuff in the front. there only really 3 spots of grass and a little in the back of the lot.

As for the outdoor area i know he wants to have alot of wood, outdoor wood fence something like a 3 rail fence around the area more for looks than anything else. The floor will be wood as well. not sure if there putting something over head or not The whole area around it is flat. I was thinking maybe just some small plants and shurbs with maybe some boulders mixed in.

Im about to head up to my nursery to start trying to get an idea of what there getting in next year. Gonna see if they can special order me anything if i want it. Once i get some plants/trees in mind im gonna draw something up and ill post a couple pictures so you can get a better idea

Be practical by the pavement by thinking about snow plowing, snow piling, over hanging bumpers, and stupid people (how they park, where they walk). Think safety - make sure people can see pedestrians and other cars as they back out of parking spaces or drive in the lot. Herbacious perennials and ornamental grasses are good where woody shrubs may get broken by snow or an idiot who goes over a curb because they come back the next year without losing shape.

Keep in mind that it is not a residence where the garden is respected - it is a place where chumps will use a tree as a bike rack and the shrubs as a place to toss their trash. Make sure it is easy to clean (ie, not barberry or rugosa roses).

Remind yourself that the first responders for maintenance are most likely going to be bus boys and prep cooks - there will be half a barrel of salt dumped on an inch of snow because they don't want to shovel it and anytime a weather situation or other need makes them have to move outdoor tables out of the way, they won't think twice about pushing them into your plantings.

Also, if smoking is not allowed in restaurants down there (like here) there will be lots of butts dropped by the entrance and back door to the kitchen. Makes sure the area can easily be swept and stone the nearby beds rather than mulch because of fire hazard (I have seen this happen).

Also, if it is a flat foof building, realize that in big storm events they will have the bus boys dump snow off of the roof, too.

Most importantly, go over your plan with the owner and explain why you are doing his landscape the way its planned. For example, tell him you decided to use mostly, I'd have at least a small bark area around plantings, stone mulch for fire resistance and long lasting appearance. Explain your plantings and why you chose them. The more details the better. Also, I like stone and gravel for mulch. There are so many ways to go with different sizes and colors. Good Luck. Show us what you did when all done.